I heart Peanut Butter

So far so good today!

Afternoon snack:
Light Fat Free Yogurt (80 calories)


Lunch:
Chicken Sandwich (2 pieces of orowheat bread, light mayo and 2 chicken tenders - 300 calories)
Watermelon (40 calories)
Cantaloupe (50 calories)
Total: 390 calories

Afternoon Snack:
Apple (90 calories)
1 tbsp peanut butter (90 calories)
Total: 180 calories

Total for the day (before dinner): 910

I plan on having leftover chicken and cottage cheese tonight which should put me right at 1300ish? I will make sure to track those once I've eaten!

Now onto the exercise.......

Fresh and Renewed

I haven't exercised since Friday when my sister and I went on the hike in LA. My eating has been mediocre.

But this morning I woke up feeling good about myself and what I've accomplished so far on the journey.

I can feel my clothes getting looser. Im feeling more energized then I have since my daugther was born. Im starting to make better eating decisions.

I realize that its definitely an uphill battle for most to lose weight and keep in off. And although I might not lose my desired weight until Christmas, so be it. I'm getting there on my own terms and my own pace.

With that said, I have decided to do a different type of format for this blog. One thing I realized I wasn't doing was tracking my calories. Its a taunty task, but it really helped me when I was doing personal training before I got pregnant. Plus I've only been guessing at how well I've been eating. I plan to shoot for 1300-1500 calories daily.

So each day when I log in, I will post my food and calorie intake. I will also log my exercise for the day. I want to spice up my exercise routine so any (fun) or different exercise routines you've done or come across, send them my way!

Today:

Breakfast
1 english muffin (120)
1 egg (90 calories)
Half Calorie OJ (50 calories)
Total: 260

Cheesecakey Goodness

I had an amazing dinner with an amazing friend. This is what I consumed at Cheesecake Factory:

Diet Coke
3 pieces of bread (1 wheat, 2 white)
2 Avocado Rolls
Chopped Salad (lettuce, avocado, tomato, corn, apple - I could only eat half)
Red Velvet Cheesecake

I hadn't planned on the Avocado Rolls or a whole piece of Cheesecake by myself, but Marge talked me into it (Don't say you didn't Marge ;) Plus I took half of the cheesecake home. Which I most likely will eat in the next 10 minutes because it sounds soo good :) I was full and satisfied when I left, but not the typical I-ate-like-I-was-never-going-to-eat-again stuffed feeling.

I think its hard to be good when eating out because most likely you are A) So damn hungry everything with the words "fried", "cheese" or "crispy" makes your mouth water and B) You want to have a "good time" and what doesn't say good time then a huge margarita and five baskets of chips?

But I think its OK to splurge every once in awhile. Although I feel like my past few posts have been saying "Its OK to splurge in moderation" which seems like its everyday? I haven't worked out in the last 4 days which makes me feel "blah" in some respects. The gym is definitely calling my name.

I plan on surfing for five hours to burn off my dinner tonight (That ones for you Marge!)

Why eat when you can starve?

Here is what I have had to eat today:

1 egg with toast and OJ
Watermelon and Honeydew Melon
Light Fat Free Strawberry Yogurt
PB&J Sandwich
Mixed Nuts

And Im starving. Rightfully so, yes? I haven't had much to eat, but Im going out to dinner tonight with a dear friend and "saving" room for our get together. We're headed to Cheesecake Factory where I will have the Chopped Salad. YUM! Unless she wants to share a cheesecake I will skip dessert since Im bound to have a basket full of carbs (aka bread) with dinner.

How do you stop yourself from overeating when dining out?

Motivation, where art thou?

This week marks four weeks on my journey. And I feel like Im losing steam.

Today I feel irritated. Im staying away from everyone at work because Im annoyed. Not at anything, or anyone, in particular but just.... blah.

And it didn't help when my boss said to me, "Wow Stephanie, your legs need to see some sun." (I am currently wearing capris). Ok I get it, Im super white and my legs haven't seen the light of day since, forever. Must you point it out though? Im use to those types of comments from her, so Im not sure why I am so irritated about it?

My eating this past weekend went better than I thought it would. And I even got in that hike Friday morning. Yes I splurged on pizza and mexican food, but it was in (decent) moderation and I had my sister there to stop me from eating a mcflurry at midnight.

Then last night my husband made cookies and I had six. SIX! And my boss brought in cookies today and I had one. Without even thinking or hesitating.

Im not sure what I thinking would be different 4 weeks later. Maybe I have lost weight? Im too scared to look. Did I think I was going to be 2 sizes smaller? Patience, friend, patience.

And I think I got annoyed looking at myself in pictures this past weekend. Ugh - who is that girl? Im trying, but maybe Im doing something wrong. Maybe I need to write down my food and calories better. Maybe I need to work out everyday.

Maybe I need to stop whinning and start living my life wherever it takes me. This is only an obstacle and I will continue on my journey to stop being fat.

Where do you hike in Los Angeles?

I made it to my sister's house last night around 7:30pm. It only took me three hours from work which was FABULOUS! I enjoyed my subway sandwich for dinner, although my sister's boyfriend stopped by with Taco Bell. I was going to say no, but nachos sounded so good, so I splurged on nachos supreme. Nothing like sour cream at 9pm!

This morning we got up and went for a hike! I know what you're thinking. Where does one hike in LA? After driving 15 minutes north, east, westish, we ended up at Fryman Canyon trail. Its pretty steep in the beginning and I could definitely "feel the burn" on the way up. Luckily there was quite a few shady places (with benches) that we stopped a to take water breaks.

We took my sister's dog, Sam, with us on the trail and he enjoyed meeting the other million dogs that we encountered. They even had a drinking fountain just for dogs at the top of the loop!

My favorite part was the downhill! :) I felt accomplished that I was able to get a workout in during my vacation and my sister and I enjoyed some good quality time.

SHAKES?!?!?

The girls at work are talking about getting shakes from Phat Burger across the street.

SHAKES?!?

PHAT BURGER?!?!?!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why do you move so slow, work clock?

I have 4 HOURS until work is over and I can be on my merry way to visit my sister for a few days. But everytime I look at the clock it seems to be moving BACKWARDS. Ugh.

I didn't go to the gym this morning. Although I should have, I spent the morning cuddling with my hubby since I will gone for a few days. I felt like I haven't seen him much the past week and a half because he was gone for the weddding, then football practice at night and now Im leaving. So in any case, we had some good quality time and then I got ready for work.

Matt made eggs and 1 piece of toast for breakfast this morning. And then I got to work where a coworker brought bagels! (I think I will partly blame my fatness on the work environment. How is one to stay skinny when there's all this damn food everywhere?!?!)

So I had a bagel WITH cream cheese. And it tasted soooooooooooo good! I ate it slow and it took me a good hour to eat the whole thing. Because of that, I didnt have a midmorning snack. For lunch I had to get gas and stop by the bank so I grabbed Subway. But this is where my smarts and college degree come in: I will be driving during dinner time and instead of grabbing a burger or some other fast food quickie for dinner I got a foot long sandwich - 1 half for lunch, the other half for dinner.

BRILLIANT!

I also splurged and got baked lays to go with the sandwich for dinner ( I am on vacation you know :) I felt good with my decision because I was able to make the sandwich my healthy way (wheat, mustard, chicken breast, lettuce, tomato and pickle). Plus I only paid $7 for lunch and dinner. Oh frugile Stephanie, how I love you.

Hump Day

Get your mind out of the gutter :)

Its WEDNESDAY! And tomorrow marks three weeks since the beginning. Part me wants to weigh myself, but the other part doesn't want to be discouraged.

Last night my husband was rubbing my back/neck when he says, "I can tell you've lost weight." And my reply was, "how so?" I could tell he was hesitant to say anything because Im sure he thought anything he said would be bad, but he pointed to the top portion of my shoulder blades and said that it seemed firmer in that area. Whether he was just saying that or not, it made be feel great and that what I've been doing is working!

This morning I got up at 5am and did the spin class. I didn't like the instructor as much as the other two I've had. She seemed to talk WAY too much during the class that I couldn't really enjoy the music. It was still a great workout and I was a sweaty mess when it was all over.

Eating has been good, although I desperately need to go grocery shopping! We're out of eggs and cottage cheese so I couldn't do my typical spin class breakfast (eggs, 1 piece of toast and cottage cheese). Instead I had a bagel thin and yogurt with fresh blueberries. For a mid morning snack I had mixed nuts. Lunch was leftover turkey meat (from the burritos we had last night), a smidge of shredded cheese and yogurt (again).

Confession for the day: I had two snack size things of m&ms. The workplace is a death trap of yummy goodness! My coworker brought in leftover candy from her daughter's birthday party and had to share right? After the two pieces of candy, I popped in a piece of gum and have ferociously been chewing it every since.

Tonight I need to pack for my sister's place. It'll be nice to take a mental break from work and motherhood and spend some quality time with my sisterina. Im armed with motivation to have a good, healthy weekend!

I can't be fat forever

This morning my alarm went off at 5am and I hit the snooze button. And then I hit it two more times until finally I sat up in bed and told Matt,

"I can't be fat forever!"

So I put on my shoes, grabbed my IPod (I wasn't going to forget it this time) and water and I was out the door. I decided to do something different than the eliptical today so I chose a different cardio machine. To spare you my description of the machine, I will include a picture:

(Side note: When I googled this for an image, the price for these machines run from $4-6,000! Holy @#A!)

I did 25 minutes at level 2 and felt good once I was done (Seriously? $6,000? I could buy a decent used car for that price)

I then headed to the weight machines. I did 4 different arm machines (3 sets of 10 each), then headed home. There's something about taking a shower after a good workout that makes me feel ready for the day!

I made sure to eat breakfast before I left for work. I chose 1 cup of Kashi cereal (200 cal) with 1/2 cup of low fat milk (65 cal). As a midmorning snack I had a light fat free yogurt (80 cal) and I am currently enjoying a McDonalds Southwest (grilled) chicken salad and a diet coke (420 cal). Total calories so far: 765. I have an apple for my mid afternoon snack and we'll be having burritos for dinner.

On the agenda for tomorrow: Spin class at 5:30am!

I didn't have cake!

Good news: I didnt have cake! Oh how I wanted to, but I said no and I meant it. The rest of my food day was as follows:

Mid morning snack: Apple

Lunch: 6inch sandwich from Subway (I know I mentioned McDonalds but the subway was right next to the bank so I went there). I had oven roasted chicen breast on wheat. Mustard only. Lettuce, tomato and pickles. A small ice tea and no chips! I had an orange as my side with lunch.

Afternoon snack: I served up the cottage cheese I had a work but after two bites I threw it out. It seemed to have a weird taste although it doesnt expire until July 2? Instead I had a piece of cheddar cheese and water.

Dinner: A bag of mixed nuts. I know, horrible. I plan to eat something else but I was busy cleaning the kitchen while Ava ate dinner. Plus I wasn't very hungry at the moment. I will make a turkey burger when I am done writing this blog.

Not too shabby for getting back into gear. There is no spin class tomorrow morning, but I plan to get up at 5am and work out before work. I always seem more energized and productive at work when I've worked out first thing. Im already wearing my workout clothes to motivate me :)

Good Morning Monday?

So far - A for effort.

I was so tired from this weekend (and Matt got in at midnight) that I didnt go to the gym this morning. I will do the Wii tonight after Ava goes to bed. Pinky Promise.

I didnt have time to have breakfast (mistake #1) so I decided to grab something on the way to work (mistake #2). I stopped at Starbucks (mistake #3). I got a Skinny Vanilla Late Iced (130 calories) and a Reduced fat turkey bacon egg muffin thingie (340 calories) = 470 calories. I only drank half the coffee and there was 1/3 left of my muffin. Im still counting it as the total 470 calories to keep me in check the rest of the day. I have to run to the bank at lunch and will pick up something to eat while Im out (mistake #4). I will be going to McDonalds to get their Southwest Chicken Salad (with grilled chicken and dressing = 420 calories).

My coworker brought in left over cake from her daughter's birthday. Ugh. Why is the workplace an eating fest nowadays? If its not cake, its doughnuts. Or candy. Or bagels. No cake no!

Just remember, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" :)

Im here Im here!

Did I really go 3 days without writing in here? OY! Well I have a reason, or excuse or both.

Lets start with the funk week. I declare last week my "get out of funk free" card. I was in a funk. Funky funk. Although I got in one good workout and ate so-so, I am back on track and determined to kick ass this week (even with my yearly sister weekend coming up this week!)

So Matt left Thursday night for his friends wedding that he was in this weekend. So it was me and little bean. And for some reason, I was stressed about being getting everything done without Matt around (and now greatly appreciate that I dont have to do parenthood alone!) So I didnt work out much and my eating was not on par. I had a few handfuls of m&ms at work on top of cake. I tried to be decent by eating good at lunch and dinner with Ava (turkey burgers, chicken, etc) but I think the sweets killed it.

Then Saturday we headed down to Santa Barbara to meet up with Matt for the wedding. I'll spare the details but lets just saying taking a 13 month old to a wedding was a disaster. She's mobile now so all she wanted to do was walk (in one direction mind you, and it was never the direction I wanted her to go) and when she was being held it was only by me (she wouldn't even let Matt hold her). So we left (before dinner!) to get ms. poopypants back to the apartment we were staying at. I ate half a sandwich and a bowl of kix for dinner as my destressing comfort food from the 5 hour car ride and 2 hour struggle to get my child to sleep that night. My back was aching from hunching over following Ava as she walked just in case she started to fall face foward and my arms felt like I did 10 pound weights for an hour from carrying her (does that count as exercise?)

This morning we went out for breakfast for father's day and I had (holding nothing back): hash browns, eggs and toast. I didnt get all the eggs and hashbrowns and I shared my toast with Matt, but nonetheless, it was still a lot of food. For lunch we stopped at McDonalds. I was still quite full from lunch but got a 10 piece chicken nugget meal (with fries). I ate 7 chicken nuggets and a handful of fries (seriously, I was throwing away almost a whole carton of fries). I also only drank half of my diet soda. For dinner I had a small burrito at home with turkey meat, cheese and salsa.

This coming weekend is sister weekend. I will be visiting my sister in LA Thursday night through Sunday morning. I am DE-TER-MINED to have a wonderful time within my food/exercise budget. I have only four months until conference....

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....

No Large, El Grande, for me!

Last week I kicked ass. Spin class twice and eating fabulous.

Then this Monday showed up. I dont know what the deal is, but this past few days have been motivation-less. My alarm goes off in the morning and I turn it off. My eatings been decent but not as on par as I would have liked. Maybe it was the first week of "Yeah! Stop being fat! YOU GO GIRL!" mantra that made me so motivated.

Dont get me wrong, Im still motivated to stop being fat, but Im just in a funk. What do you do to pull yourself out? I think part of me is stressing about getting stuff done while Matt is gone for a few nights. Or maybe Im just lazy? Or maybe Im worrying to much about laundry? Or maybe I'll continue to think of excuses on why I have no motivation.

I have to do this. I have three months until conference and I am determined to where those size medium work shirts. No Large, El Grande, for me!

Fat Wednesday

Fatty fat Wednesday.. and possibly Tuesday night.

I blame my husband. Its partly his fault. Last night he decided he wanted cake. So he made one. And made me eat a piece last night. Dont get me wrong, I didn't really say no or deny the cake, so it is partly my fault. But its also his fault for making it.

So I told him this morning I was bringing it to work because I couldn't handle it being in the house. Everyone at work would eat it up. And they have been.. I just wished they were eating it quicker so it was gone.

Then lunch came. I was doing great. I had half a chicken breast, 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes and veggies. And then.. the craving came. I wanted something sweet. Something sweet like cake. And I couldn't just stick with a small piece of one. Oh no - I had to have a piece of both (there's left over cake from my coworkers baby shower). And I admit that as Im typing this, Im eating it. But its sooo good. I can have my cake and eat it too right?

I also confess that I didnt get up for spin class this morning. My energy just wasn't there. Where did it go? I've been so pumped but going into this second week I seem more tired. Im still overly motivated to lose this weight and feeling great, but I can't get up these past few morning to go workout. Ugh.

On a happier note, Im currently wearing a pair of pants that I wasn't able to a few months ago. Now mind you, by "wearing" them I mean I am able to button them. They're not overly comfortable to wear and Im pretty sure part of it is cutting off air to my organs, but they're still buttoned! Before I could barely zip them. This helps me realize that what Im doing isn't a total failure and that this little hurdle will pass.

I have also decided not to weigh myself but to go by how my clothes feel (case in point - being able to zip up my pants!). I know I will be discouraged if I go by the scale, but will feel accomplished by the way my clothes fit.

Im proud of myself that tomorrow is the 2 week mark since I've started the journey. I can't wait to see what I look like at the 2 month mark!

What do you mean there's no spin class?

So I set my alarm, got up at 5am and was off to spin class with time to spare. Except when I pulled into the gym parking lot, the spin class room (which you can see from the outside) was dark and nobody was in there. It was 10 minutes until class started so it seemed weird NOBODY was there yet. So when I checked in at the front and inquired about class, the girl told me there wasn't a spin class until 9am. What? Really? I swear there was one every morning.

Ok fine, no spin class. Which is OK except I didn't bring my IPod so I didn't have any music to listen to! Ugh (See my previous post, "People watching... at the gym!" to see how I pass time without my own mustic to listen to).

Regardless, I jumped on the eliptical for 20 minutes followed by weights. It wasn't as intense of a workout as spinning would have been but in any case, I felt good when I drove home after the gym. Plus a shower feels 10x better after a good workout. Am I right?

For breakfast, I had 1 1/2 scrambled eggs, 1 piece of toast (no butter) andnd a glass of milk. Then.... there was cupcakes. My coworker brought in leftover cupcakes from her baby shower (remember the one I didnt get cake at?) and I ate one this morning. And it was good :) Yes, I felt slight remorse for eating it, but I survived and moved on.

For a midmorning snack I had an apple with 1tbsp of peanut butter. I haven't had lunch yet, but I brought in two slices of lunch meat, cottage cheese and an orange. I also still need to get in my 200 steps today at work. With that said, Im off to do my first 100!

An inspiration? Im touched!

Remember when I said I thought nobody was reading my blog? Apparently there are. And some of them are people I don't even know.

And on one blog comment, one person even stated that I was an inspiration. Me? An Inspiration? I was thinking maybe my 13-month old daughter would say that to me in her gibberish ways, but not someone reading my blog. And someone I didn't even know, none-the-less.

But in any case, I was extremely touched. On a few occasions, I've had a few people comment that I am inspiring them by what Im doing and its makes this journey that much more meaningful. If what Im doing is helping others battle their own obstacles, whether is be weight, addiction, etc, then I am that ten times more determined to enjoy my journey to being a healthier mama.

So Thank You to those who say I am inspiring them in one way or another. Its because of YOU that I AM inspired to be the healthiest, happiest, SMOKIN' Hot mama out there!

Confession Monday

So I haven't worked out since Friday and today I had 3 handfuls of m&ms. I planned on going to the spin class this morning but I was hearing that "5 more minutes" mantra in my head. This week wasn't starting out so great.

Then I got a text from a close friend:

"By reading your blog, Im super aware and doing much better at the whole eating/weight loss thing.... your an inspiration!"

I was extremely touched that she felt that way especially because I was pretty sure nobody was reading this. And her text really helped me realize that, yes, today was an off day with the m&ms and that although I haven't worked out in 2 days doesnt mean what Im doing is meaningless. Dont get me wrong, I wasn't having my typical "I mess everything up. Forget it - Im going to be fat forever" sob story but I was feeling a bit off because of the lack of exercise. Case in point - my sluggish feeling this morning when I was trying to get up for spin class.

I'm steal pulling strong with my eating. This morning I had rolled oats and a yogurt for breakfast. For lunch was a chicken breast, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and one piece of cheddar cheese. And water water water!

So tonight - no excuses! Matt is gone at football practice so I can't head to the gym, but I have plenty of workout videos (and the Wii) to get my exercise in once Ava is asleep. And tomorrow - I will be up bright and early to spin my little (or big?) butt off!

The weekend of survival!

So this weekend has been better than I thought. I have splurged, but with moderation. Starting with Friday night.

We went to El Cids in Oakhurst with my parents. While everyone else enjoyed margarita's, I had water. I couldn't say no to chips, but I had 5 (and yes, I did count them). For dinner I had a grilled shrimp salad with dressing on the side: Avocado, Egg, Tomato, Cucumber. Yum! I had a small piece of cake at home, but felt satisfied.

Saturday morning I had eggs, 1 piece of toast and 2 pieces of bacon. I had a small cup of coffee (with very little cream and sugar) and a small glass of orange juice. I had planned on working out at the gym when we headed back down to Fresno, but I had to finish shopping for a baby shower gift so I took the day off. At the baby shower I did great! I had a nice portion of salad, fruit, veggies (cherry tomatoes and carrots - no dressing!) and 1 pinwheel sandwich. There was also spinach dip and different pasta and potatoe salads but I said no to anything creamy. Go Me! I ate light because I planned on enjoying a piece of cake. However, the baby shower ran WAY too late and I had to dart out before they served it. I was bummed, but felt good that I didnt waste too many calories on sweets.

In between I had a hair appointment and I took the plunge and got BANGS! Im still getting use to them, but I think I may keep them for awhile - they're starting to grow on me (no pun intended!)

Saturday night I enjoyed 3 small chicken tenderloins and 2 pieces of hawaiian bread rolls. I should have stuck with 1, but, well, I didnt :) I also had two small pieces of cake. Again, I should have had one, but because I budgeted for two (the baby shower cake), I enjoyed two small pieces and then I was done for the night.

This morning I had eggs, 1 piece of toast and a small cup of coffee. And water. I realize I don't drink enough water on the weekend because its not readily available like at work. I just have to remind myself to get that water in. Water water water!

Today I will go to the gym since I took yesterday off. The gym agenda consists of 20 minutes on the eliptical and weights. Tomorrow will be spin class - can't wait!

Cycling addition.. and cake!

I got up at 5am again this morning and braved the spinning class at the gym. I think I may be getting addicted to spinning. Which I know is a healthy addiction! I felt excited for the class and not nearly as tired as the first time (but super sweaty for sure!) I plan on doing the spin class 2x a week to fulfill my addiction :)

So my mom left me a message a little while ago stating she was going to be getting a cake for the weekend to celebrate Father's Day and her birthday (we're celebrating early because we'll be out of town next weekend). In any case, Im starting to freak out about cake. I LOVE cake. Enough that I could probably have a few slices in one sitting. But Im trying to convince myself that a sliver is perfecly fine. But nothing more. Just enough to satisfy but not enough to gorge myself on the sweet treat. I can do this. I can do this.

AND we're going out to mexican food tonight. MEXICAN! Luckily the place we're going has a shrimp salad that I've had before so I plan on getting that. Lots of water. And NO CHIPS. Which is soooo hard because this place has the most amazing chips. But I keep telling myself "Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels." I can do this. I can do this.

AND I have a baby shower to go to Saturday. Which will have food. Lots of food. And more cake. Go light on the food because I will celebrate with a small piece of cake. Very small. I can do this. I can do this.

This weekend will definitely be my first real challenge of eating out and celebrating events. There's always food involved, but Im ready.

Bring it.

Oh no.. the m&ms!

I admit it. I had two handfuls of m&ms today. I would say roughly 15? I dont feel totally defeated for the day, but know I should have stuck to none. Or at least only one handful.

On a side note, I got my 200 steps in today at work. And my eating has been good:

Breakfast: 1 egg, 1/2 cup cottage cheese.
Mid-Morning snack: 1 packet of nuts from Fresh and Easy
Lunch: 2 piece of turkey lunch meat, 2 pieces of cheddar cheese and another 1/2 cup of cottage cheese.
and again.. LOTS OF WATER :)

Matt has elected to make dinner so we'll see what that is. He's been a great supporter during this process and keeping me in check. Its great having him home for the summer because I am able to go workout in the morning and not have to worry about getting Ava up and ready. They were both still asleep when I got home from my spin class the other morning!

I haven't done any exercise yet today. I may have to stick with a quick video or something tonight because once Ava's in bed and I need to do some last minute birthday/father's day gift shopping.

I plan on getting up early tomorrow and do another cycling class! Goal is to do it 2x a week. Go me, go!

One week complete!

I started this journey last Thursday and I can't believe a week has already gone by! Im already feeling better about myself, healthier and more energized. I no longer drag in the morning to get out of bed and make breakfast every morning before I leave for work. I look forward to getting my exercise in everyday and think about what I could do differently to strengthen my body.

Who knew?

Cycling class - WHOA!

Last night I decided that I would like to try a spin class at the gym. I had done one waaayyy back when and I remember how great it felt afterwards. The only thing different is I was in waayyy better shape back then.

So I texted a coworker asking her opinion on the instructor scheduled for the 5:30am class. Yes, you read that right, 5:30AM! So we texted back and forth, she wished me luck and then I thought, "Well, now I HAVE to do it because I've told someone I was."

With the alarm set, I went to bed... in my workout clothes for the next day. One less thing to worry about in the morning (although sleeping in your sports bra is no fun)! My alarm went off at 5am and I was up and out of bed. No groggy thought to stay in bed! I put on my socks and shoes, filled up my water bottle, grabbed a hand towel and off I went!

I got to the class with 10 minutes to spare. And thankful I did because I had no idea what I was doing. While everyone else was adjusting their bikes and clicking away from all the changes (Brian Regan comes to mind - "click click clickity click"), I was looking around trying to figure out what I was suppose to be changing. I moved the seat up one. Got on and realized I could only pedal that way if I was 4 feet tall. So I clicked it up a few more. Feels about right. I guess?

I was lightly pedaling when I decided to move the arm rest up another notch. Just as I was trying to remember the "Righty tighty, lefty loosy" mantra the instructor starts class. Doh! I started to panic when the bar wouldn't screw back in. Eventually it popped into place and I jumped back on my bike.

Within the first 5 minutes, Im dying. "I have 55 more minutes of this?!" I think to myself. And when she announces after 15 minutes that we just completed our warmup I knew I was in for it (That was only the warmup?!?). But I was determined to finish the class!

We sat down and pedaled, we stood up and pedaled. For 5 minutes straight we stood up and pedaled at the toughest intensity known to man kind and I was pretty sure my legs were going to fall off. I continued to push myself through the ups and downs for the duration of the class.

And 60 minutes of sweat, sore legs and 32 oz of water later - I finished! What started out as a full class, ended with about 20 individuals. I did it! Mind you I could barely walk to my car, but as I drove home with the windows down, feeling absolutely amazing, I smiled to myself and knew I could do anything!

People watching... at the gym!

So I drove aaallll the way to the gym (5 minutes from my house) and realized I didn't have my iPod. Ugh! Who works out without their own music? Apparently I had to tonight.

So I jump on the elliptical, put in 20 minutes and off I go! I feel like I've been on it forever when I look down and notice I still have 18 minutes left!! Really? Not having music sucks.


In that case, I decided to people watch to distract myself. And I've come to realize there's three types of people who go to the gym:


1. Those who have amazing bodies and KNOW they have amazing bodies so they wear as little as possible. One girl in particular stood out - skimpy, tight spandex shorts and a bright, BRIGHT pink sports bra. Thats it. Mind you, she did have an amazing body (one that put the rest of us to shame), but seriously? Couldn't you at least wear a cute tank top over the bra? For guys, they usually wear cut off tank tops that show off their huge manly biceps.


2. Those who dress up to go to the gym. And wear way too much makeup. And are barely moving on the machine. Really? Why bother?


3. The rest of us trying to keep our bodies in shape or get there. We throw on whatever tshirt is big enough to let us breath, workout pants that allow us to MOVE on the machine and our hair up in a big ratty mess (you can picture me working out now, can't you?)

And although it was hard working out without my iPod, people watching got me through 20 minutes of intervals on the eliptical, 3 arm machines (3 sets of 12), 3 leg machines (3 sets of 20) and crunches (3 sets of 15).

And I plan to get up early before the kid and husband are awake to do it all over again!

Day 6 - Almost a full week!

A week goes by pretty fast when you're watching what you eat and exercising. Who knew?

I have to admit, I had a handful of peanut m&ms yesterday at work. Remember when I said we always have candy at work? Well I broke down and had some. I admit they were yummy and I was good the rest of the day. Thats the point right? Enjoy food in moderation, but one slip (a handful of m&ms) doesnt mean I have to fall off the band wagon all together. Which is what I had done in the past.

Anyways, so the rest of Monday was good. I enjoyed leftover ground turkey and veggies for dinner. I also had a serving of Kashi cereal because of my craving for something sweet after dinner. Anyone else have the problem? I eat a meal and then I crave something sweet. Kind of annoying when you're trying to watch your food intake.

I didn't get any exercise in. After putting Ava to bed, finishing dishes and taking the trash out I was craving some "me" time (Matt was gone at football practice). I enjoyed two episodes of "House Hunters" :) And although I should have at least done the Wii, it felt good to get some veg time in. So yesterday was my day off from exercising and Im back today full force.

Now I set my alarm to go off early so I could go to the gym before work. And although I was awake early and could have gone... I was being lazy. Which I need to break. For crying out loud, I was AWAKE! Not like I was groggy and needed "5 more minutes" to sleep (what does 5 more minutes do anyways? ) So I HAVE to do it tonight. After play time with Ava and dinner, I will head to the gym. It'll be 7pm which is one of the busiest times to go. But I plan to do 20 minutes of cardio and then weights again. Plus Im still doing the 200 steps at work, so something is better than nothing!

As far as today's eating goes, I've done well:

Breakfast: 1 serving of Kashi cereal and 1 serving of fat-free milk
Mid Morning snack: 2 dried apricots and 1 packet of mixed nuts (from Fresh and Easy)
Lunch: 1/2 chicken breast, 1/2 cup of veggies and 1 serving of cottage cheese.
AND LOTS OF WATER!

I need to stock up on snacks to keep at work. Any ideas or suggestions? Staples now are fruit (apples mainly, sometimes oranges) and nuts. There's a refrigerator available so I can store things in there as well.

Im debating on weighing in each week. I know on one hand it will help keep me accountable, but at the same time I worry I will get discouraged if they numbers dont go down. Plus if Im doing more strength training, I will be gaining more muscle which weighs more than fat.

All I know is I plan on being lighter (and healthier) by the time I set off for conference in October! It'll be here before I know it.

Monday!

I woke up super sore from my gym workout yesterday. Ugh - so out of shape! But the soreness felt good and Im craving more! :)

Today has been a good eating day. I made 2 eggs this morning (one for matt and one for me) and cottage cheese. For mid-morning snack, I had an apple with 1tbsp of peanut butter. Lunch was leftover ground turkey, veggies and black beans with cottage cheese (and lots of water). For my afternoon snack I am enjoying 3 dried apricots and a pack of mixed nuts from Fresh and Easy.

I have also done 100 steps on the stairstepper at work. I plan on doing 200 daily, so I still have another 100 to do!

Matt has football practice tonight so I wont be able to go to the gym. I plan on doing the Wii again once Ava is in bed. Not as strenuous as the gym, but better than nothing!

PS. I also forgot to mention that I had one piece of red licorice. There's always candy in our office and I've been doing good with saying no, but I was craving something sweet and they were there. I was good by just having one when I could eat a whole package by myself!

Get your workout on!

I just got back from a kick ass workout at the gym! I forgot how amazing you feel after a great workout - sweat and all!

I did 20 minutes on the eliptical. Or is it elliptical? Anyways, I did the variety program and it made me a sweaty mess at the end. I definitely needed that to get myself into gear!

Than I walked around aimlessly in the weight department to see what machines I remembered. I ended up doing 3 different arm machines (3 sets of 10) and two leg machines (3 sets of 20). I left the gym sweaty and feeling amazing!

I've been drinking water like crazy today. Its so hot! Eating has been great too! We had breakfast (which I already mentioned), then for lunch I had half a chicken breast and spaghetti which I shared with Ava. Again, lots of water! For a midday snack I had a ricecake with peanut butter. Yum!

For dinner, we will be having left over burritos. Tonight though I plan on having everything except the tortilla. That will save a good 130 calories! I will have extra cottage cheese (which I love) to replace it :)

Sunday - Funday!

So its Sunday morning... so far so good! :)

Today was my day to sleep in, but I only made it until 7:30. Which, I suppose, is sleeping in since Im normally up at 5:30 during the week.

I made breakfast this morning for Matt, Ava and I: scrambled eggs, 1 piece of toast and cottage cheese. I bought flaxseed meal yesterday at Costco so I put a little bit of that in my cottage cheese. It wasn't as bad as I thought. I know its good for you because of the omega-3s. My eye doctor had recommended I get more of omega-3s because of a thin layer of oil on my eyes. So, adding a little bit seemed like a good way to go.

We added up the calories and (with the glass of milk added) it came to around 500 calories. YIKES! No morning snack for me. I plan on drinking lots of water (its going to be another HOT day) and going to the gym for 30 minutes. I plan on focusing more on strength training then cardio. Before I would do 30 minutes of cardio and no strength training (or not much). I plan on doing 15 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of strength training.

For now its off to do my motherly duties of laundry, dishes and more laundry.

Saturday night!

I have officially survived the first half of my weekend! Woo hoo!

The hardest part was an inpromptu trip to Costco where the sample ladies were EVERYWHERE! But thankfully I would look the other way and made it out of the store without one single sample. GO ME!

For dinner we had burritos. I cooked ground turkey and black beans. We also had some shredded cheese and salsa. After one burrito I was craving another! Matt advised me to wait a few minutes and see how I feel. I continued to sip my wine (red this time! So yummy!) and was feeling better. I admit that I was still a bit hungry but instead of another burrito (and another tortilla) I had a scoop of ground turkey and black beans. I felt satisfied once I ate that and called it a night with food. No eating past 7:30 pm for me!

And although I was tired from the day, I put on my workout clothes and did 33 minutes on the Wii Fit: 10 minutes of strength training, 10 minutes of yoga (that sh*ts hard!) and 13 minutes of "fun" exercising (hula hoopings my favorite!). I can't say I was super sweaty but it felt good to get that exercising in. A nice warm shower and comfy pjs and this mama is feeling good and accomplished for the day.

Go Me!

The Weekend!!

So I think everyone can admit that the weekend is the hardest time to stick to eating healthy and exercising regularly. So Im dedicating myself to eating right and exercising at least 30 minutes today and Sunday.

This morning Ava slept until 6:30 so it felt good to sleep in (If you're a mother you understand. If you're not, then you think Im crazy). Anyways, I got up with her and we cuddled on the couch while she drank her morning milk (out of a sippy cup! So excited she's moving up to big girl things but sad my baby girl is growing up! But I digress..)

I ate breakfast about an hour after getting up. I know they say you should eat within 30 minutes of waking up but sometimes I feel like that's impossible with a little one. I had 1 cup of Kashi Go Lean cereal with milk. Yum! :)

At 10:45 I had a snack which was one rice cake with peanut butter. Again - yum! :) And Im serious on the yum. Normally I would have TWO rice cakes with peanut butter, but with one small baby steps I saved myself calories by only having one.

I need to make sure Im drinking lots of water especially with the hot summer weather approaching. I do great at drinking water at work because I have my big 32oz water jug that I use with the water cooler at work. I almost wish we had one of those here because my brita can only hold so much water :)

I plan on having left over spaghetti that I made last night for dinner, but no rolls (I had two last night). I've finished my grocery shopping list and now headed to the store!

Day 2 - Afternoon

Still feeling good. And sweaty. Just got off the stair stepper at work. 50 steps. Not too shabby.

We got back from a luncheon for PRSA awhile ago. I nominated the CEO for Executive of the Year. And by the look of his face.. he was surprised!!! He was very thrilled by the award and said some nice things about the staff. I love my job.

Lunch was chicken, a small scoop of mashed potatoes and green beans. I admit - I ate it all. It was soo good. I also had a piece of bread and butter. During the ceremony I had a cup of coffee and a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. I know, I probably skipped the cookie but it was delicious as well. I dont feel bad about the food. But it helps keep me accountable on what Im eating.

Tonight my girlfriend is coming over and I have no idea what Im going to make for dinner. Part of me wants to just order pizza and call it a day. But I know I shouldn't. I keep thinking about what I have in my fridge/freezer that I could make - Turkey burgers? Ground turkey? Chicken? Ugh - it sounds so boring. Im sure I'll think of something.

Day 2

Its only 9am but the day is already going well. I think the mornings are actually the easiest for me as far as eating. For breakfast I had a packet of Kashi oatmeal and four dried apricots (and LOTS of water!)

I've done 100 steps on the stairmaster we have at work. The CEO bought it for us a good couple of months back because of an article he read in the newspaper stating people who have desk jobs lose years off their lives because they're sitting all day. So he thought it would be a good idea to encourage exercising. Which was great, but then the machine ended up in our conference room where nobody goes.

So yesterday I pulled it out and stuck in the middle of the copy area. Its a common area that you have to go to for the fax, postage machine and copier. Its also the the area you have to go through to use the bathroom and access the front door.

And you know what? Moving it got everyone to do 100 steps yesterday at work! Woo Hoo! We'll all be smokin' hot by the time conference rolls around in October.

The Beginning - Day 1

Today is the beginning of my journey to be a healthier mama and wife. They always say that its best to do a weight loss journey if people know about it (Who are "they" anyways?) So here I am on the first day of my "Stop Being Fat, Mama" journey letting the whole world who I am and where Im going.

I weighed in this morning at 175. There, the truth is out. I was 183 when I gave birth to my daughter.... a year ago. There's no excuse on why I got that heavy other than laziness. By the end of the day Im spent and would rather prop my feet up on the couch then put on a sports bra and go to the gym. That ends today.

I will use this blog as a journal to express my frustrations and excitement. I will track my exercise for the day and what I am eating. I will use it as a sounding board when Im craving a piece of chocolate cake or an extra basket of chips with my meal.

If you're out there, encouragement is welcomed.